› added 10 years ago

130

TIL Carl Sagan sued Apple Computer in 1994. Apple used ‘Carl Sagan’ as an internal code for the Power Macintosh 7100. Apple lost and renamed it 'BHA’, for Butt Head Astronomer. Sagan sued again, and lost.

Read more wikipedia.org

via reddit.com

x6Emk TIL The deadlist slave revolt in Amerian history was on August 21, 1831, when Nat Turner, believing he was called by God to lead African Americans out of slavery, lead a rebellion that killed between 55 and 65 White people, mostly women and children.
x75w TIL In 82BC Sulla became the first Roman General to march his army on Rome and began killing all his opponents. One fled, and despite warning that there was danger in him he was pardoned. This young man would later become the second general in Roman history to march his army on Rome, Julius Caesar.
VBv68 TIL that during the Great Depression, sales tax tokens were created as a means for consumers to avoid being overcharged by having to pay a full penny tax on purchases of 5¢/10¢($1-2 today).
YpPlZ TIL that we humans have been dependent since 1977 on the blue blood of horseshoe crabs to keep our medicines safe. The crabs have been 'bled' for a chemical which is used to test for bacterial contamination in drugs. Finally, pharmaceutical companies are committing to a synthetic version.
69K8Y TIL: In countries like the UK, Canada, or Australia, if the government can't pass a budget, there is no "shutdown". Instead, the government is forced to resign and new elections are held.